Self-cleaning ashtray with collecting hopper

ABSTRACT

A tilting bin-type ashtray or receiver section is provided with a self-opening bottom member such that each time the section is closed there is an opening and dumping of waste material into a lower &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;one-day capacity&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; collecting hopper. The bottom member for the ashtray is separated from the wall portions thereof and is spring biased in a manner to be deflectable downward from an attachment point at the rear of the ashtray housing, whereby the movable tray will have a closed bottom when tilted open and an open bottom portion as the tray is tilted in and closed.

Unlted States Patent 1 1 1 3,709,427 McGregor 1 Jan. ,9, 1973 [54] SELF-CLEANING ASHTRAY WITH FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS cOLLECTING HOPPER 1,217,675 6/1963 Germany ..232/43.1 [75] Inventor: Eugene R. McGregor, Morris, Connr 461,912 1/1914 France ..232/50 [73] Asslgnee grlsvgzprllefin Products Company, Primary Examiner Bobby R y Assistant ExaminerPeter A. Ascliienbrenner Flledi 1971 Attorney-James R. l-loatson, Jr. [21] A I. No.: 199 160 pp 57 ABSTRACT 52 US. Cl. ..232/43.1, 232/50, 220/205, A tilting yp ashtray or receiver Section is P 312/211 vided with a self-opening bottom member such that [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 91/00 each me the Section is closed there is an opening and [58] Field of Search ..232/43.1, 47-50, dumping of waste material into a lower one-day 232/28, 44; 220/205; 312/211 capacity collecting hopper. The bottom member for the ashtray is separated from the wall portions thereof [56] References Cited and is spring biased in a manner to be deflectable downward from an attachment point at the rear of the UNITED STATES PATENTS ashtray housing, whereby the movable tray will have a 2,626,615 1/1953 Buroker "220/205 X closed bottom when tilted open and an open bottom 2,581,621 l/1952 Behrens et al... ..232/44 portion as the tray is tilted in and closed. 1,799,897 4/1931 Gronbech ..220/20.S 455,373 7/1891 Wesson ..232/48 8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 7 SELF-CLEANING ASHTRAY WITH COLLECTING HOPPER This invention relates to a special self-cleaning type of ashtray. More particularly, there is provided a tilting bin-form of ash receiver section which is provided with a separate deflectable and self-opening bottom member that causes the emptying of the ashtray section into a lower waste collecting hopper on each occasion that the tray is tilted forward and closed after usage.

In connection with large jumbo aircraft, trains, busses, public waiting rooms, and the like, where the time required to empty and clean all ashtrays can be significant, there is the need to reduce the cleaning time and resulting costs. For instance, in each of the new large jet aircraft, there will be of the order of 350 or more seats such that if the present practice of cleaning all of these ashtrays at the end of each flight is continued, there will be a major labor expense involved in effecting this one operation. However, in the event that trays need be cleaned only once a day, or after a given number of trips, then there can be a significant savings in time and expenses for a maintenance division.

It may be considered a principal object of this invention to provide an ashtray design and construction which appears to be clean and empty upon each opening and, at the same time, provides a large collector hopper which will only need cleaning once a day or even less frequently.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an ashtray unit which has a demountable or disposable lower collector section so that it can be periodically emptied.

Broadly, the present invention provides a pivoted bin-type ashtray unit having a self-cleaning ash receiver section that communicates with a lower collector portion, which comprises in combination: (a) a supporting housing; (b) an open-topped and open-bottomed ash receiver section sized to be movably positioned in the upper portion of said housing and be tiltably supported therein about a lower front edge of such section; (c) a deflectable self-opening bottom member cantilevering angularly forward from the rear of the supporting housing and positioned to be in contact with the lower edge portions of said ash receiver section in its tilted out position, whereby there is a resulting sloping bottom member providing for the full closing of such ash receiver section for the tilted outward position, while further providing that there is a self-opening deflection of such bottom from the ash receiver section responsive to inward and downward pressure from the lower end portion of said section as it is periodically tilted inwardly; and, (d) ash collector means disposed below said deflectable bottom member for said ash receiver section, to thereby provide for the collection and removal ofall ashes and material periodically being discharged into and from the self-cleaning ash receiver section.

With respect to the flexible or deflecting self-opening bottom member, such member will normally be spring biased or of a leaf spring material in order to have the desired flexibility or springiness which will provide a substantially tight closing bottom when the ash receiver section is tilted outwardly and opened. Additionally, the flexible .or deflectable bottom member shall be capable of readily deflecting downwardly to be out of the way and to provide an open bottom to the ash receiving section as it is tilted inwardly and closed. The resilience or spring-biased construction for the bottom member also serves to provide a spring-biased action to resist the inward and outward movement of the ash receiver section as it is closed or opened for usage.

The bottom member may be hinged and spring biased in various ways or may be of leaf spring material. In the latter instance, the flexible bottom member will be of a cold-drawn, annealed or tempered steel to give the desired springiness. Also, where desired, the steel may be of a stainless steel type such as Type 18-8, Type 316, etc. In still other instances, the flexible or deflectable bottom member may be made of an alloy such as spring brass, with the brass having; been cold-rolled and treated to provide the desired springy nature desired for the present invention.

Various means may be utilized for mounting the cantilevering, deflecting bottom member for the ash receiver section; however, typically the member will be bolted, riveted, spot-welded or otherwise fixably attached to the rear portion of the supporting housing for the ashtray unit. Also, where of leaf spring material, the member will typically have a pre-formed curved portion at the zone where the main bottom providing portion will cantilever angularly outwardly from the back of the housing so as to be in a position to properly serve as a closing bottom member for the ash receiving section.

With respect to the ash or waste collecting means provided below the deflectable bottom member for the ash receiver section, there can be an enlarged hopper section as a part of the supporting housing and suitable lower door or equivalent means to permit the emptying of waste material from such lower portion of the hous ing. In this type of an arrangement, the entire supporting housing would normally be removable from the seat, stand, or any other supporting structure which is accommodating the self-cleaning; ashtray unit. For example, where the unit is mounted along a side, or on the back of a seat structure, there can be a lower sup porting bracket and a turn-button, a spring-latch means, or other holding arrangement to permit the easy and rapid mounting and dismounting of the entire unit from the support structure. It is, however, not intended to limit the present invention to any one design or type of ash-collecting hopper means and various arrangements can be supplied and utilized. As one variation, there may be an entirely separable lower section to the ashtray unit or housing such that the lower section may be separately removed and emptied. In still another instance, there may beseparate insert means within a lower housing section or within a collection section such that the insert may be emptied or entirely discarded with the ashes and waste material. Preferably, the lower ash collecting hopper section will be relatively air-right and of a non-flammable material such that any live ashes or hot material will be quickly FIG. 1 of the drawing shows, in a diagrammatic side elevational view, how a pivoted bin-type ash receiving section can be used in a tilted-out and open position to have a closing bottom member.

FIG. 2 of the drawing is a sectional side elevational view of the upper portion of the unit, indicating a closed position for the ash receiver section and a resulting open bottom for such section from the deflection of the separate bottom plate member.

FIG. 3 of the drawing is a partial front elevational view indicating the tilted-out and open position for the ash receiving section within the upper portion of a supporting housing.

FIG. 4 of the drawing shows a front elevational view of one embodiment of the flexible, spring bottom member being used to effect the opening and closing of the bottom portion of the ash receiving section in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 5 of the drawing indicates diagrammatically the use of a hinged and spring-biased bottom plate for the ash receiver section and also the use of a separate lower housing portion such that there may be a separate removable ash collecting section with respect to an upper supporting housing portion.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, there is shown a vertically positioned support housing 1 which is indicated as being in turn supported from a flange portion 2 in a bracket 3 attached to a part of a seat or other support means 4. At the upper end of the housing 1, there is an additional flange section 5 indicated as being held by tum-button 6. However, it should be realized that various mounting-dismounting arrangements can be used and the present ashtray unit need not be limited to any one mounting system.

Within the upper portion of the housing 1, as is best shown in FIG. 3, there will be an opening 7 adapted to accommodate a tiltable bin-type ash receiver section 8. The tilting is provided by using an arcuate lower front edge portion 9 connecting between a front face plate 10 and side members 11. The curved portion 9 in turn is shaped to rest on and over an inwardly curved lip member 12 as a part of housing 1 such that the entire ash receiver section 8 can tilt outwardly, as shown in FIG. 1, or be pushed inwardly as indicated in FIG. 2.

The tiltable ash receiver section 8 is actually opentopped and open-bottomed in that it will be formed from the front face plate 10, side members I] and back member 13. This arrangement is provided so that there may be a separate deflectable bottom member 14 that provides the self-cleaning and self-opening operation to dump waste material into a lower collection zone upon each occasion that the ash receiver section 8 is closed inwardly, as shown in FIG. 2. The open top portion to the ash receiver section is, of course, conventional with any sliding or tilting bin-type of ashtray to permit the discard of cigar and cigarette ashes, gum wrappers, etc., being conventionally discarded into ashtray units. As a limiting means for the outward tilting movement for each ash receiver section 8, there is a snuffer member 15 extending between face plate 10 at downwardly curved section 16 and the upper portion of housing I by the use of an upwardly curving section 17. Typically, the snuffer member will be relatively narrow in order to provide an open top portion for most of the ash receiver section 8 but, additionally, may be provided with a depression or slotted hole 18, such as shown in FIG. 3, which is conventional with the design of snuffer members in most ashtray units.

FIG. 4 of the drawing indicates, in a front elevational view, the rectangular shape or arrangement for one form of flexible bottom member 14 which can be of leaf spring material and is adapted to open and close against the bottom edge portion of ash receiver section 8 responsive to the tilting in and out movements of such section. In the embodiment, the bottom member 14 has an upper extended portion 14 which can be placed upwardly along a back portion 19 for housing 1, whereby there can be the bolted, riveted, or other fixed attachment of such deflectable spring plate member 14 to the housing unit or to a support member for the unit. Where member 14-14' is of spring metal as heretofore described, it may be fabricated from any conventional or special leaf spring material suitable for the service.

With specific reference to the opening and closing, as well as self-cleaning operation, as provided by the leaf spring deflectable bottom member 14, it is to be noted, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, that such member 14 should be curved with respect to its back mounting on housing 1 at'a bend zone 20 so that there is a resulting built-in upward biasing to insure the angular position which is suitable and necessary to entirely close the bottom portion of the ash receiversection 8 when the latter is in the open or tilted-out position. Conversely, deflectable bottom member 14 shall be capable of being pushed substantially straight downwardly, as best shown in FIG. 2, as ash receiver section 8 is tilted inwardly around curve support piece 12 and closed from usage. Further, with respect to the deflectable spring leaf member 14, it is to be point out that such member will always be in contact with the lower edge portion of ash receiver section 8 whether opening or closing and as a result will provide a spring biasing effect for the tilting operations embodied in opening and closing the ash receiver section. The spring biasing is, of course, of further advantage in providing a controlled, resisting type of movement to preclude a rapid falling-in or out for such ash receiver section. The downward positioning of member 14, of course, results in the opening of the bottom of ash receiver section 8 so that all of the contents will be dumped into a lower portion of housing 1.

The enlarged lower portion of housing 1, indicated as 21, shall have sufficient capacity to provide for repeated usages of the ash receiver section 8 and preferably be of at least l-day capacity for use in an airplane or other public conveyance or even a public waiting room. When it is desired to empty the lower collecting section 21, the ashtray unit of FIG. 1 will be dismounted from its supporting means' and emptied through a suitable door, such as indicated at 22 from hinge means 23. It is, however, not intended to limit the present invention to any one type of collector or hopper means in connection with the ashtray unit.

As hereinbefore set forth, it should be noted that many modifications with respect to the ashtray housing may be provided as to design or shape and further that various arrangements may be made with respect to collecting and emptying the enlarged ash collector or hopper section of the unit. For example, in FIG. 5 of the drawing, there is indicated a modified type of housing construction where an upper housing section 1' is slidably engaged with a lower housing section 1" whereby there may be the provision of merely dismounting a lower portion of the unit to effect the periodic emptying of waste material from the unit.

FIG. 5 also shows a variation in the design and construction for the deflectable bottom member through the use of a small tension spring 24 to connect with bottom member 14a in turn hingedly connected to the sup port housing by hinge means 25. The spring biased and hinged bottom member 14a will, of course, operate in the same manner as plate 14 in FIG. 2 to effect the selfcleaning of ash receiver 8 upon the latter being closed.

Other spring types and locations will be apparent to those familiar with spring biasing, as for example, a spring actuated hinge could be used at 25 in lieu of the separate tension spring means 24.

With respect to the ash receiving section 8, there may also be variations in shape and design, as well as the use of special decorated face plates 10 to suit any type of decor. In the present embodiment, an opened or closed ash receiver section 8 is accomplished by the use of a finger or fingernail engaging an upper edge portion of face plate 10; however, in installations where a nob or other handle member can be used without the problem of catching a persons clothing, then such nob member can be attached to the exterior of face plate 10. Still other modifications in design and arrangements will be obvious to those skilled in connection with the design of ashtray units and like types of articles.

I claim as my invention:

1. A pivoted bin-type ashtray unit having a selfcleaning ash receiver section that communicates with a lower collector portion, which comprises in combination;

a. a supporting housing;

b. an open-topped and open bottomed ash receiver section sized to be movably positioned in the upper portion of said housing and be tiltably supported therein about a lower front edge of such section;

c. a deflectable self-opening bottom member connective with the rear of the supporting housing and positioned to be in cantilevering contact with the lower edge portions of said ash receiver section in its tilted out position, whereby there is a resulting sloping bottom member providing for the full closing of such ash receiver section for the tilted outward position, while further providing that there is a self-opening deflection of such bottom from the ash receiver section responsive to inward and downward pressure from the lower end portion of said section as it is periodically tilted inwardly; and,

. ash collector means disposed below said deflectable bottom member for said ash receiver section, to thereby provide for the collection and removal of all ashes and material periodically being discharged into and from the self-cleaning ash receiver section.

2. The ashtray unit of claim 1 further characterized in that said deflectable bottom member is a flexible sintil;r5351?"fi'ihiifiei foi li iifitli ifi eil aili ifi i keep engagement against the lower end portion of said ash receiver section.

3. The ashtray unit of claim 1 further characterized in that said deflectable bottom member is of a single leaf spring material having a bend between the cantilevering portion and a portion connective to the back of said supporting housing whereby there is an inherent spring-biasing force upwardly against the lower end portion of said ash receiver section.

4. The ashtray unit of claim 1 further characterized in that said deflectable bottom member is hingedly connected to the supporting housing and separate spring biasing means provides for holding the member in engagement against the lower end portion of said ash receiver section. I

5. The ashtray unit of claim 1 further characterized in that a narrow snuffer strip is provided to connect between the face plate and the back plate of said ash receiver section and such strip has. an upwardly projecting portion at the back plate to engage with the front of said supporting housing as a stop member for the outward tilting movement of said ash "receiver section.

6. The ashtray unit of claim 1 further characterized in that such supporting housing is removably mounted to a support structure and an ash removal means is provided from the lower portion of said housing to in turn provide for dumping contents from the lower collector means in said housing.

. 7. The ashtray unit of claim 6 still further characterized in that hinged door means is provided from the lower portion of said supporting housing as the ash removal means therefrom.

8. The ashtray unit of claim 1 further characterized in that said supporting housing is sectionalized and a removable lower portion thereof provides means for effecting the removal of ashes and material collected in the lowerash collector means. 

1. A pivoted bin-type ashtray unit having a self-cleaning ash receiver section that communicates with a lower collector portion, which comprises in combination; a. a supporting housing; b. an open-topped and open bottomed ash receiver section sized to be movably positioned in the upper portion of said housing and be tiltably supported therein about a lower front edge of such section; c. a deflectable self-opening bottom member connective with the rear of the supporting housing and positioned to be in cantilevering contact with the lower edge portions of said ash receiver section in its tilted out position, whereby there is a resulting sloping bottom member providing for the full closing of such ash receiver section for the tilted outward position, while further providing that there is a self-opening deflection of such bottom from the ash receiver section responsive to inward and downward pressure from the lower end portion of said section as it is periodically tilted inwardly; and, d. ash collector means disposed below said deflectable bottom member for said ash receiver section, to thereby provide for the collection and removal of all ashes and material periodically being discharged into and from the self-cleaning ash receiver section.
 2. The ashtray unit of claim 1 further characterized in that said deflectable bottom member is a flexible single leaf member and spring biasing means combined therewith provides for an upward engaging force to keep engagement against the lower end portion of said ash receiver section.
 3. The ashtray unit of claim 1 further characterized in that said deflectable bottom member is of a single leaf spring material having a bend between the cantilevering portion and a portion connective to the back of said supporting housing whereby there is an inherent spring-biasing force upwardly against the lower end portion of said ash receiver section.
 4. The ashtray unit of claim 1 further characterized in that said deflectable bottom member is hingedly connected to the supporting housing and separate spring biasing means provides for holding the member in engagement against the lower end portion of said ash receiver section.
 5. The ashtray unit of claim 1 further characterized in that a narrow snuffer strip is provided to connect between the face plate and the back plate of said ash receiver section and such strip has an upwardly projecting portion at the back plate to engage with the front of said supporting housing as a stop member for the outward tilting movement of said ash receiver section.
 6. The ashtray unit of claim 1 further characterized in that such supporting housing is removably mounted to a support structure and an ash removal means is provided from the lower portion of said housing to in turn provide for dumping contents from the lower collector means in said housing.
 7. The ashtray unit of claim 6 still further characterized in that hinged door means is provided from the lower portion of said supporting housing as the ash removal means therefrom.
 8. The ashtray unit of claim 1 further characterized in that said supporting housing is sectionalized and a removable lower portion thereof provides means for effecting the removal of ashes and material collected in the lower ash collector means. 